This invention concerns a spray head useful in particular for making snow.
This spray head is more especially intended for an installation such as described in the document FR-2 743 872.
For this type of installation, it, is interesting to be able to have a spray head that suits easily all the loads associated with its use such as, for example, the loads linked with the climatic conditions of the installation site.
This invention suggests a multipurpose spray head that comprises means enabling the said head to make quantities of artificial snow, suited to the variations of climatic conditions.
The spray head according to the invention comprises at least two nozzles fed separately by pressurised water systems, whereas these nozzles are arranged radially on the periphery of a tubular sleeve whose axis is close to the vertical in normal operating conditions, which sleeve holds a core element that is fitted with radial partitions in order to divide in a watertight fashion, the internal space of the said sleeve into several chambers, a main chamber and at least one secondary chamber that is implemented after the main chamber if necessary, which chambers are used for feeding one or several nozzles, which core element is fitted with internal passages connected to the said pressurised water systems in order to feed each chamber.
Still according to the invention, the upper portion of the spray head comprises a cap fitted with at least one spraying device operating as a nucleator and arranged beside or in the field of the nozzle(s) of the main chamber, which device, in the form of a cartridge, is fed with pressurised water and air, which supply runs, as regards water, through the feeding passage of the said main chamber, which passage transits through the said cap, and the air is supplied via a specific passage provided in the core element and in the cap, in their respective centres.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the inlet orifice(s) for the pressurised water of the nucleation device are situated in a zone of the cap of the spray head, which is arranged in order to enable permanent circulation of the pressurised water around the said orifices in order, on top of the supply of the said orifices, to avoid freezing phenomena at the level of the said orifices.
According to another arrangement of the invention, still with a view to avoiding freezing phenomena at the head, the different feeding passages of the chambers of the said head emerge into the lower portion of each chamber, thus enabling total purge of the said chambers once the installation has stopped. In case when the passage of the main chamber transits through the cap, the said passage comprises in its return leg, extending from the said cap to the said main chamber, a purge passage extending between the lower extremity of the said chamber and the arrival passage provided in the core element.
According to a variation of the invention, the nucleation device, still in the form of a cartridge, is integrated radially in the spray head, going through the tubular sleeve and it is shrink-fitted into the central core of the said head up to the arrival passage of the pressurised air, which device is water fed directly via the main chamber of the said head, in which its pressurised water inlet orifices are situated.
According to a variation, the nucleation device comprises a cartridge making up the mixing chamber and two nozzles for spraying the air-water mixture, whereas each nozzle is oriented parallel to the faces of the dihedrals in which are for instance aligned the nozzles for spraying pressurised water.
In the various cases above, the body of the nucleation device is immersed in the water circulating in the main chamber, to avoid freezing and clogging the small orifice(s) due to permanent circulation of water inside the said chamber.
According to the invention, the spray head comprises a foot that is arranged in order to be fixed on a pole, which pole comprises for example several ducts for feeding pressurised water and possibly pressurised air, which ducts are arranged in relation to orifices arranged in the said foot in order to feed the different nozzles of the said head.